Blood and Betrayal (The Emperor's Edge Book 5‪)‬

Have to admit this. I read a lot. I mean an amount that my sister-in-law (another constant reader) told me was impossible. I'm also old, opinionated and stubborn. I read the bible (most boring ever) straight through three times in a week at her house.
What's that got to do with this series and in particular this episode? Absolutely nothing, other than I read a lot.
As a result, I know what I like and think I know a good book. Especially one that brings an entire new format to the surface. Emperors Edge does just that. Not in earth, not in any time we know, aliens and science fiction are certainly there but the story is so out of the ... Well it's totally new. Raging a lot i like new.
It's easy to connect with the characters as your neighbor and suddenly it's brought back to you that you're far away in both space and time.
He writes much better than I; you'll like it!

Good writing knows when to show and when to tell, which was not the case here. This book actually horrified me, and not in a good way. It needs more proofreading, and I’ve grown tired of Amaranthe. While she’s had a couple moments of doubt over the course of the series she doesn’t actually learned from them and thus hasn’t really had any significant character development and it’s the end of book 5 already. It did not help that it’s Maldynado’s turn to share, so the alternative is following him as he spouts his heteronormativity and toxic masculinity while advising Akstyr and Sespian to follow his example.

Given the context that Yara has explicitly stated multiple times that she doesn’t want to be touched, Maldynado literally says she should be impressed he hasn’t sexually assaulted her in his comrades’ absence and told her she should smile more. He regularly speaks of women as if they’re a sport and not people and most of his behavior goes unchallenged, at worst it’s rewarded. He also claims Amaranthe likes cleaning, but the text so far indicates it’s an OCD and anxiety response.

Despite supposedly having suffered at a week of torture at the hands of the master interrogator, Amaranthe seems largely unaffected. Mentally her thought processes didn’t change at all, she’s able to jog, sprint, swim, lunge, and even restrain a man who had no handicap. A few days of not rest and suboptimal medical aid and she’s back to beating people up. Only roughly half a page was devoted to her trauma, plus a couple twitchy moments later.

Vocab list this time: ersatz instead of substitute, incipient instead of budding, tête-à-tête instead of face-to-face, ensconced instead of settled, victuals instead of food, hirsute instead of hairy, jocularity instead of humor, puerile instead of juvenile, quiescent instead of inactive, sinewy instead of muscular, ministrations instead of care, sybaritic instead of sensual, littoral instead of coastal, erudite instead of scholarly, domiciles instead of homes, milieu instead of environment, maudlin instead of emotional.

When will there be another book of the series ? 6?
Good story btw.